Belfast’s newest technology start-up hub The Ormeau Baths has formed an alliance with Dublin based co-working space Dogpatch Labs that will give members of each space the chance to use both facilities.

The new affiliation arrangement means that members of one co-working space can use the other location as a drop in member and avail of its facilities when they are in Belfast or Dublin.

Ormeau Baths is a newly developed co-working space and tech community that will open in June in an historic former bath house in the heart of Belfast. Its founders aim to create an entrepreneurial campus that helps the brightest and best indigenous tech start-ups gain access to new networks, funding and expertise and give them the tools to flourish in global markets.

Jon Bradford, co-founder of Ormeau Baths, believes the affiliation with Dogpatch Labs will benefit entrepreneurs across the island of Ireland.

Dogpatch Labs is a startup hub located in the heart of the Dublin Docklands which is home to 45 companies and has over 300 members. Its mission is to accelerate the development of Ireland’s startup ecosystem, supporting the tech community by providing a space to grow, share knowledge and form connections.

Commenting on the announcement Ormeau Baths' Jon Bradford said: “This is a mutually beneficial arrangement that will allow entrepreneurs in Dublin and Belfast to move seamlessly between the two locations. We know tech business founders in Ireland regularly travel between Belfast and Dublin to see customers, meet potential investors and attend events, so having a base in both cities will be of real value.

“The founders of Ormeau Baths are big fans of what Dogpatch Labs has done in Dublin and we are excited about linking up with Patrick and his team as we believe they share a similar ethos and spirit to what we are aiming to create for the tech community in Belfast.”

Patrick Walsh, managing director and owner of Dogpatch Labs, added: “At Dogpatch we are helping Irish startups with proven technology to realise big market opportunities and generally doing everything we can to boost Ireland’s tech ecosystem. So linking up with the team at Ormeau Baths, whose vision is to do the same in Belfast, makes a lot of sense.

“We know that as entrepreneurs develop disruptive technologies and innovations they need to be part of creative ecosystems that enable them to access domain expertise, build their international networks and sharpen their pitch. Having access to thriving tech spaces in the island’s two biggest cities will hopefully open up even more new opportunities for them.”